Skywatcher price rises?

[stardad]

Does that effect all Skywatcher products such as mounts only FLO?

[NGK]

Knew i should of got the 150pl a few days ago

[Parus major]

I do believe there's a bargainous one on the sgl for sale section....

[Veracocha]

It's not the pricing that bothers me but the complete lack of availabilty of equipment. In the last week I have bought a Skywatcher 200PDS, HEQ5 Pro, lots of ep's all pre-owned as the dealers have once again been caught out. Some serious pre-owned bargains out there if you are prepared to search and wait.

[John]

.... as the dealers have once again been caught out.....

I think the BBC programmes have spawned unprecedented demand - I've not seen anything like this since the Halleys Comet return in 1986.

When was the "once again" that you are thinking of ?

[Mark-mck]

i find the price rise very disapointing, especially with what the Prof BC has done for the hobby recently.

i would of thought with the increase in demand it would of bought prices down due to the fact that manufacturers would be able to justify larger production runs, which would be more cost effective.

looks like corporate big wigs cashing in once again.

[GazOC]

I guess Brian Cox has limited influence over the Chinese economy...

[Mark-mck]

i guess so, perhaps the bbc could do a quick edit on tonight's wonders of the universe and say something along the lines of the price rises have caused a vast increase in the suns activity and unless they lower prices the world will end in 2012?

i reckon BC could pull it off lol

[Superewza]

Companies always jump at any chance to increase prices but are very hesitant to lower them when the going's good. Quite disappointed considering it's unlikely i'll get a scope until late September now

[rabgucci]

Have been looking to buy a telescope for the past few weeks, but while considering which one to buy the prices have been going up by 25% in some cases !. Are dealers trying to milk things due to the recent surge in popularity of astronomy ? will probably wait until people get fed up with their new telescopes + put them on ebay for a sensible price.

[Astro_Baby]

Price rises have been inevetiable for some time. Cost of fuel has gone through the roof and cost of raw materials likewise.

The last few years has seen a golden age of astro kit, prices have been at an all time low and equipment that people could only dream about owning 10 years ago has become available very cheaply.

If you look back a few years you will see how reasonable astro kit is these days compared to almost any previous time.

Just like anything else it could never last forever, is been bashed ou on a low cost chinese economy. The price hikes have zip to do with the BBC and demand and are linked to the cost of makin stuff in china and shipping it here.

Personally I think prices ovet the next few years are going to go up, they have to really as tye cost of oil and other raw materials rises.

[johninderby]

Over the last few years Chinese produced goods have been available at artificially low prices due to exchange rates and low labour costs. With labour costs rising and increasing pressure on the Chinese government to let the value of the Chinese currency rise to something closer to it's true value the prices of Chinese imports are are only going one way.....UP !

And yes the rising cost of raw materials and transportation costs are also going to increase prices still further.

John

[russ]

It was inevitable the prices would rise. I wonder how much they are going to rise? Are we going back to an era of unaffordable astro gear and think yourself lucky if you have a 114mm Seben?

[Ben Ritchie]

I don't think it's that bad, as recent years saw the unusual combination of quality increasing while prices fell dramatically - even with the price rises you're still getting a decent product (with usual caveats about avoiding some of the dross on ebay ) rather than having to pay a vast amount for an expensive f/9 'SD' achromat or an uncollimatable Newtonian.

So even if the days of being able to buy a brand new, well-corrected 80mm apochromat for under £200 may be gone for a while, what's out there is still pretty decent value.

[nitram100]

Did synta raise their prices on anything? Thinking of getting a CGEM now instead of the EQ6 Pro as they aren't that far apart cost wise.

[Psychobilly]

Bloomin eck... just been browsing a bit further...

Inevitable I suppose for the reasons discussed above...

We have seen component prices rising steadily over the last two years and some cable prices have doubled...

Billy...

[nitram100]

the EQ6 Pro can still be had for 899 in one place,

[FLO]

the EQ6 Pro can still be had for 899 in one place

Are they in stock?

It is possible that a dealer is still carrying pre-increase stock but considering the recent shortages that is unlikely. Some part-time dealers take a while to update their websites (usually photo stores) and some advertise low prices while out of stock only to raise them when stock becomes available.

If you do find someone with an EQ6 for £899, you should buy it...

Steve

[FLO]

Personally I think prices over the next few years are going to go up...

I agree, even after these recent increases the cost of astro equipment is still artificially low and here in the UK we still have some of the lowest prices in Europe. Have you noticed there is a distinct shortage of rip-off-Britain threads

... puts on tin hat and jumps in bunker...

[shaunster]

NEQ6 is £927 at rother valley and £929 at harrisons.. just so you know

[FLO]

NEQ6 is £927 at rother valley and £929 at harrisons.. just so you know

And Altair Astro still show £898

There might be some old stock around and it'll take a few days for dealers to update their sites. Things will probably have settled by the end of week.

[Astro_Baby]

Are we going back to an era of unaffordable astro gear and think yourself lucky if you have a 114mm Seben?

Hope so - then I can sell my gear and make a fat profit

[Whippy]

Hope so - then I can sell my gear and make a fat profit

Nice to see you're in it for the love of it .....

Tony..

[Albireo380]

I spoke to Steve at FLO around 5.30pm today. Not all the price rises have yet made it onto his and other vendors websites. Brace yourselves - the age of inexpensive (relatively) astro gear is over for a few years.

Time to sell your unused Skywatcher kit?

Tom

[JamesC]

It's been a bit of an eye opener watching the price of the 300P flextube go up. I reckon it's up around 37% from where I bought it 2.5 years ago. Let's assume it will still only be up 37% after 3 years, that's still an 11% annual rate. I'm gonna to write a letter to Mervyn King...